8/9/2008
Sprint Source
Marshall Skinner visits O'Reilly USCS victory lane at Clayhill Motorsports
August 9, 2008 – Atwood, TN – Former O’Reilly United Sprint Car Series Champion, Marshall Skinner from West Memphis, Arkansas passed series points leader, Tim Crawley on lap nine to gain the lead and then battled wheel-to-wheel with Crawley for the next eleven laps to grab the victory and $2000 first place pay check in the 30-lap O’Reilly USCS main event at Clayhill Motorsports in Atwood, Tennessee on Saturday night.
Skinner finished with a half straightaway lead over runner-up Tim Crawley after starting fifth in the main event and masterfully racing around the bottom of the well groomed 1/3 mile red clay oval before the a capacity crowd. Crawley from Benton, Arkansas who started in the fourth position led the first eight laps of the race and again regained the lead on lap twelve only to have Skinner get back around in lapped traffic.
Ernie Ainsworth from Memphis, Tennessee battled with defending National Champion, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee for third place. Gray who started ninth, passed Ainsworth for the position on lap ten. Ainsworth returned the favor on lap twenty-six to finish in the third position. Gray cme home in the fourth position. The 2007 Midwest All-Stars Champion, Jerrod Hull from Sikeston, Missouri rounded out the top five.
Sixteen year-old Rookie driver Justin Carver from Drummonds, Tennessee led the next group to the stripe with a sixth place finish. 2007 O’Reilly USCS Mid South Thunder Rookie of the Year, Chris Williams from Cordova, Tennessee followed in seventh place. Veteran sprint car driver Henry Gustavus from Marion, Arkansas finished eighth. Phillip Faulkner finished in the ninth position in his first appearance of the 2008 season. Current O’Reilly USCS Rookie of the Year point’s leader Anthony Nicholson rounded out the top ten finishers.
Terry Gray won the evening’s 6-cars, 6-laps Lucas Oil Power Dash. Tim Crawley won the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat. Jerrod Hull won the 8-lap Butlerbuilt Second Heat. Ernie Ainsworth picked up the win in the Bar’s Leaks Third Heat Race. The Hoosier Tire Young Guns award went to Justin Carver who also garnered the Rookie of the Race honors. Terry Gray passed the most cars in the main event to earn the evenings Huggins Cams Hard-Charger Award.
Submitted By: Adam Ulrey
